


First Meetings

by Elementalmaster0506



Category: Bleach
Genre: Fatherly Engetsu, First Meeting, Zanpakuto spirits - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 11:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18827410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elementalmaster0506/pseuds/Elementalmaster0506
Summary: One day when Engetsu sits bored in his inner world he feels the close presence of a fellow and some what powerful Zanpakuto and so he goes to investigate.





	First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> I just had an idea of how Engetsu and Zangetsu would be like when together. Let me know if its weird!  
> Ichigo is about 4 years old in this.   
> Hollow Zangetsu is growing with Ichigo is power and experience but will slowly gave his memories of Shiro as they get older.

Engetsu “Scathing moon” the fire type Zanpakutō spirit of Clan Head Isshin Shiba of the Gotel 13 and the once Captain of Squad Ten was bored. 

He continued to lazily look out towards his wielders inner world in hopes there would be something new and exciting to help fend off the boredom. The world was covered in black rocks, eternally burning trees and the occasional green patches of plants as far as the eye could see- and likely much, much further. 

After all he has had decades to explore his home

Once again though he felt bored and decided to see if he had any changes to his looks today.

His eyes were still constantly changing colours between red, yellow and orange imitating a flame. His skin had a red ting due to the heat, that while constantly surrounding him could never actually harm him-in fact today was the perfect temperature for him (warm and toasty- which let him know his wielder was okay), and his fire still caught fire on occasion. He looked to be in his mid-thirties to early forties.

His clothes were a black kamishimo with small fires scattered throughout and there was shiny amour on his shoulders, arms and legs – he looked slightly off due to using one of his shoulder pieces to look over himself. 

Once done he looked out again hoping for a major change in the landscape but all he saw allowed him to know that his wielder was in a fairly good mood since it was not raining or cold today. 

Although Engetsu missed him, he also knew his wielder would not be coming to see him any time soon. The once proud Shiba clan head had allowed his powers to be suppressed in order to save a young Quincy’s life by binding his soul to hers as a way to prevent the Hollow in her soul from ever gaining control and devouring her. 

Engetsu almost both smiled and winced at the memory, his partner had felt responsible for ruining the young Quincys life by needing her to finish off the Hollow and wanted to make amends for not being strong enough to protect her from that new type of Hollow, the zanpakuto spirit knew however that they would have make a good match if she had been living in the Soul Society and if his wielder ever got over the guilt of courting a much younger female. 

While his wielder was a bit insensitive he also had strong morals that he preferred not to show until they were needed and he liked to act a bit carefree. After all he never wanted to be a Captain but the old man would not take no for an answer.

He was proud of the man who gave up everything to save someone who was viewed as an enemy by everyone they knew but he only saw someone in trouble, someone he could help. They both knew that once the Quincy had lived a full life and died they would need to return to the Soul Society for punishment.

Engetsu did not mind that he just wished his wielder had spoken to him first about it even if the procedure was a time sensitive one. 

After all there was not a lot to do when they could not fight side by side or spar with each other or even just talk to each other in Isshins current condition. 

Engetsu found his thoughts were interrupted when he could feel another Zanpakuto spirit extremely close by. It was not the Shinigami that normally patrolled the area his wielder had settled near to the woman- Karakura town he believed it was called? 

This spirit was very young, not even close to Captains level but maybe a twentieth seat at best? 

The Shinigami that normally patrolled the town was maybe a thirtieth seat at best or an unseated officer at worst. 

Engetsu decided to check out the younger spirit since after a few minutes the presence remained just as strong. 

After all he was bored, his lack of communication due to his Captain being unable to be around other Shinigami and therefore he could not enter other Spirits inner worlds to talk. Besides he would be careful. If the spirit seemed to be trouble or seemed to be someone that would tell his wielder about him he could always threaten them, that is if they could even communicate with their wielder yet. 

He was nowhere near as strong as he used to be, on account of much of his power was being used to protect the Quincy women, but he was still giving off a Captains level of Spiritual pressure. 

Mind made up he sent an enquiry towards the other Zanpakutō asking for entrance to their inner world. 

He was a little surprised when the only answer he received was a feeling of confusion from the other but decided that it was enough.

Yeah he really was bored of just hanging around his home.

The fire type Zanpakutō focused on the other and slowly faded out of his inner world and into the others. 

As Engetsu materialised into the younger spirits world he noticed how empty it was. 

There were two small buildings underneath a blue sky with a few clouds moving lazily across it. The ground only had the closely packed buildings surrounded by green grass. There was a hint of a river beginning to form off to his right. 

But otherwise it was empty. 

It reminded Engetsu of the inner worlds of his wielders much younger nieces, nephews and cousins. Where the child’s minds were still too young to have properly formed immense inner worlds and their Zanpakutō spirits were still indistinguishable since their minds had yet to stabilise into who they were. 

But surely the spiritual pressure he felt belonged to a grown Shinigami not a child. Maybe the Shinigami was a boring old sod and that was why the world was so empty and boring. 

Engetsu started to walk around the inner world looking for any sign of the other Zanpakutō spirit. 

He looked around and waited for what felt like an hour but he could see no sign of anyone other than himself. 

Usually when one enters the inner world of another the host would be there to greet the other and give the visitor some rules to being in the others inner world but no one came to greet him or even threaten him. 

It confused the spirit. 

But he was a Zanpakutō spirit of a Shiba clan member and Shibas are a stubborn lot. 

So far he had avoided going into the buildings as it seemed to be bad manners. But it was also bad manners not to greet a guest. Besides he could feel someone watching him but he could never see anyone when he looked in towards the windows of the buildings.

Anyway since the occupant of this inner world seemed to be refusing to meet him-even just to tell him to leave-this seemed to be his only option. He thought briefly that the spirit might just be extremely shy but even shy ones left a note or even a symbol to leave, it was common courtesy. 

One building was somewhat blurry as though unstable so that building was ignored. The second building had a green roof with plants outside the building on the ground and it seemed to be made of wood from the look of it although it had a light creamy yellow colouring. One part of the building was more forward than the other part giving the building a rough ‘L’ shape. 

So as the second building with a blurry sign in front of the entrance seemed more stable Engetsu decided to try that one first, the entrance was a large glass window/door that Engetsu found somewhat impressive. 

The door was not locked so Engetsu entered the building easily. Immediately he felt a change in spiritual pressure, it was heavier and denser than it was outside. 

It also felt somewhat familiar; like it was he should know this a spiritual pressure or had felt it before. 

The fire type Zanpakuto checked nearly every room in the house and had only found a bathroom, a large bedroom, a kitchen and a brunch of empty rooms. 

The last room he looked in was on the second floor. The moment after he had opened the door and stepped inside Engetsu knew that there was someone inside. 

He walked into the middle of the room once again seeing no one inside. 

Then he heard a growl and then his face met the floor. 

The growling continued and grew more intense. 

Engetsu rolled until he was on his back and had thrown his attacker. Quickly he got to his feet, facing his attacker he took a double take at the other. 

The zanpakuto spirit was male with white hair and very pale basically white skin; he looked to be about three living human years old. He wore a white shihakusho with a black undershirt, the exact opposite colouring of the garment worn by shinigami as their uniforms. The boy even had a slash across his chest and back like it was there to hold something most likely a weapon. 

The strangest thing about him though was his black sclera eyes and yellow irises and his spiritual pressure. 

It felt like a Hollows. 

The boy was growling at him and in a basic fighting stance, there was no fear in the boy only confusion and a territorial claim. 

“Can you speak Hollow?” demanded the older man. 

“What’s a Hollow?” asked the pale boy as his head turned ever so slightly to the side, now the childs spiritual pressure felt more confused and a touch worried. 

Now Engetsu was confused a hollow knows what it is from birth but this child hollow did not seem to know what it was. 

How did a Hollow even get into an inner world, it was impossible a Hollow could not get into …a inner…world. 

Engetsu was suddenly reminded of the Hollow his wielder fought, the one that infected the Quincy woman. 

Could this Hollow be like that one or worse the manifestation of the infection inside the woman or even more worse perhaps an offspring of hers? 

“Ossan!” interrupted the boy “I asked question.” 

“Do you have a name hollow?” he asked ignoring the boys question for the moment. 

“Yeah….. but this is my home so you go first” 

Engetsu tried to hide a smile at the answer the stubborn child hollow gave. 

“Alright I’m Engetsu ‘Scathing Moon’ Zanpakut spirit of Isshin Shiba” 

“I’m Zangetsu ‘Slaying Moon’ Zan..pak..uto spirit of Ichigo Kurosaki,” he claimed proudly. 

Engetsu was furious at the Hollow claiming to be a Zanpakuto spirit. Before he could say anything he felt another spiritual presence behind him at the door. 

He glanced back towards the door. 

He saw a man in his late forties to fifties in a black cape like robe with brown sunglasses. Unlike the boy his spiritual pressure felt more like the Quincy womans. 

“Zangetsu I told you to hide” said the man. 

The child growled at the older man and said that he wasn’t a coward. 

“Do you think you can beat me Hollow?” 

The boy muttered darkly under his breath but stayed quiet. 

“What is a Hollow?” he asked after a moment.

“A vile and disgusting creature that should not exist,” explained the man “That is what you are,” 

The Hollow looked confused, angry and maybe a little sad. 

The boys brushed pass Engetsu and left the room, leaving the two older spirits. 

“That was a bit harsh, who are you?” asked Engetsu. 

The other said that he had no true name; he turned and followed the boy down the stairs. Engetsu followed the two into what seemed to be the kitchen. The older spirit opened a cupboard and took out two glass jars; he opens them and poured the contents onto a plastic plate then handed it to the Hollow boy. 

The boy-Zangetsu?-took the plate and sat on the ground, beginning to eat the meal. 

The oldest looking spirit asked him to leave but Engetsu refused to leave. 

The Captain level spirit felt sorry for the youngest spirit in the room, which was strange considering he was a Hollow. But if his name was truly Zangetsu does that mean they related somehow. 

Engetsu sat down beside the youngest and noticed a few bruises that he could not have caused during their scuffle upstairs. Suddenly he felt protective of the spiritual being.

“I’ll be taking him for a walk outside once he is done with his meal,” said Engetsu leaving no room for argument. 

“No” said the black clad man. 

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you,” he replied using his spiritual pressure to back up his words. 

The man looked uncomfortable and seemed to have slight problems breathing but otherwise he seemed fine. 

He was obviously pretty strong although not near his level of power or maybe it was just a matter of time.

The man narrowed his eyes but did not say a word, to Engetsu it was enough to know he had won. 

He looked at the hollow boy and saw the look of awe and fear on his face but the boy quickly covered that up with a look of disinterest. 

Within minutes the boy was finished, he almost ran out of the room to put on his shinigami grade sandles. 

Engetsu chuckled and joined the impatient boy at the door. 

“Take my hand and do not let go understood?” 

The child nodded and immediately did as he was told without a word, Engetsu wondered if he was only allowed to go outside on occasion or something. 

The two spirits left the house and started to walk around the inner world while Engetsu ensured to always keep the two buildings within eye sight. 

Finally Engetsu believed they were far enough away from the Quincy spirit to talk. 

As he got further from the house he could feel the hollow power within the boy mixed with the feeling of shinigami power. 

What was this child a Hollow or Shinigami spirit? 

Whatever the child was, it was instinctively an enemy to the Quincy spirit that seemed to be his caretaker. 

The fire type spirit was strangely worried about the very young spirit; he believed that the Quincy meant unnecessary harm to the child. If this inner world belonged to the child of that Quincy women then his wielders protection to the womens soul should also work for the child. 

This Hollow was young but unusually powerful, but there was no dark intentions coming from the child. 

Engetsu sat down and gestured to the youngster to do the same. Together they spent a few minutes just looking out at the world. 

“Does your caretaker treat you well?” 

“He’s mean but he does his best” 

Engetsu grunted uncommitted to saying anything about it. 

“Did he give you these bruises?” 

He asked pointing to the bruises of his arm not covered by the sleeves of his shihakusho. The boy shook his white head and looked at him like he was the weird one. 

“I got these training. Ossan won’t let me use our weapon until Ichigo starts to dream about us. That will be another few years though,” 

“Training? Our weapon? Dreaming? Kid are you telling me you really are the Zanpakuto spirit here?” 

“He is but our wielder, your masters’ son is far too young to know about, much less use him. I will care for him until he matures into a more stable spirit,” replied the Quincy spirit, who had come up behind him without a sound. 

“…………”   
“…………”   
“…………”

“I wonder whose idea was the courtship my wielders or the womans,” Engetsu said after he spent a few moments in silence. 

The Quincy spirit shrugged uninterested or uncaring or perhaps he knew and did not want to answer, before turning to the boy. 

“Zangetsu it is time for you to rest come along” 

Zangetsu glared at the older spirit and looked like he was going to make a run for it. Engetsu picked up the Zanpakuto spirit of his wielders son by the waist and started carrying him to the house, he noticed for the first time the sky darkening, this usually indicated that the owner of the inner world was getting sleepy. 

Zangetsu tried to fight off the older spirit grip but found he was getting tired. He managed to get in a few good hits. Instincts though refused to be ignored since he was in the arms of someone he did not trust or know and so he continued to fight until he had exhausted himself. 

The Hollow/Shinigami hybrid Zanpakuto spirit fell asleep in the arms of his wielders fathers’ zanpakuto. 

The Quincy spirit lead the two back to the house and towards the youngests’ room, though he regularly glanced back at the two. 

Engetsu laid the boy on his bed, removed his sandals and socks, then he covered the boy with a black and red tinged blanket and closed the curtains behind him. 

The spirit sat there for a moment to watch the sleeping boy spirit who looked so innocent and calm compared to when he was awake. Then he slowly and quietly left the room and closed the door. 

He made his way to the kitchen where the Quincy spirit went to after he ‘escorted’ them back to the house. 

When he reached the room the black clad man offered what Engetsu believed to be sake, which he immediately accepted. The two sat at the table gathering their thoughts as the Quincy man poured them drinks from a concealed storage area behind the fridge. 

“How do you know that it is my wielders’ son that is your wielder?” 

“I know a lot, I have information about my wielder that Zangetsu is too young to fully understand and even when he is older and more stable, he will not understand or have all the information” 

Engetsu nodded in understanding-some Zanpakuto spirits knew instinctively things that their wielders either knew consciously or subconsciously, this was great for Engetsu as he was not confused by the modern appliances and such the world of the living now had compared to eyes ago- and he took a sip of his sake. Although it seemed to him that Ichigo? was a dual-blade wielder meaning the two spirits inside his soul would eventually cause him to wield two blades. 

This was not only rare but a powerful technique. 

“What do you know of my wielder and his family? I’ve been cut off from him for a few years now.” 

“He married a Quincy by the name of Masaki Kurosaki and has a three year old son called Ichigo. I believe he works as a doctor in a small clinic.” 

“I’m glad he has finally settled and with a son to carry on the Shiba clan name already, he must be delighted. I can’t say I’m surprised he entered medicine he always had an interest but he was too good a fighter to be allowed to enter squad four. Anyway as long as he’s happy I’m happy for him, although I am worried about what’ll happen when she dies, my wielder does not age like a human. Also I hope it was not my wielder who chooses ‘Strawberry’ as a name for his first-born child.” 

The Quincy shrugged and took a long sip of his own sake. 

He looked…….. tired, Engetsu imagined take it took a lot out of him to care for Zangetsu when the two had instincts to kill each other.

“I hope you don’t get drunk often you are caretaker of a very impressionable spirit after all” he teased trying to help the spirit relax a bit. 

“Only on occasion and always when I have just managed to get Zangetsu to sleep” replied the other seriously. 

Engetsu went to tease him again when he heard noises of distress from upstairs. Using shunpo he made his way to the childs side only to see the child having nightmares apparently. 

Engetsu immediately knew what he had to do. So he carefully gathered the child in his arms and candled him close rocking gently, while making his own spiritual pressure as calm and soothing as possible. 

Zangetsu slowly relaxed into the older spirits side and the nightmare soon faded. 

The fire Zanpakuto stayed with the boy for a while afterwards before carefully removing himself from the hybrids strong grip on his kamino. 

He knew that the Quincy spirit was watching him carefully but there was a touch of gratitude in his features. 

The two left the room but stayed outside the door with it closed. 

“Does that happen often?” 

“Fairly, I believe the nightmares are a result of him seeing memories of the Hollow that caused him to be like he is now.”

“Huh…..You’re probably right, that must be part of the reason why you look so tired. You are a part of this soul too so the more you rest now the better it will be for Ichigo-chan later.” 

The Quincy did not reply but Engetsu was getting use to the others subtle body language changes and slight changes in his spiritual pressure. 

He was unsure of himself and perhaps a bit protective over the child in his care. That was good it meant that he would most likely also be overprotective of his wielder. 

But it also meant that the Quincy could view Zangetsu as a threat to their wielder, he would have to keep an eye on the physically older spirit to ensure he would not harm the other. 

“To ensure you get that rest I’ll be coming around more often” he smirked at the face of the other. 

“Yepppp I’ll come by once every two days and help with Zangetsu. Until he is strong enough to know the training methods he needs for himself and your wielder I’ll help him with some basics while you go do some training for yourself and I’ll help the boy with any nightmares or stuff that he needs. That sound okay to you?” 

“Why?” asked the confused Quincy spirit. 

“Why? Why because the two of you are the spirits of my wielders son so of course I want to help you out. Besides I’m bored of just laying around my inner world, watching this one develop and maybe having the occasional spar with you might ease by boredom a little” he explained before getting a little sheepish “Also it would be nice to help you raise Zangetsu after all he is kind of like my son.” 

At his last words the Quincy raised an eyebrow at the stronger (currently) spirit. 

“Like you said he is a Zanpakuto spirit of my wielders son therefore a part of me was used in his creation and unlike you he has Shinigami powers and our names are similar enough that I want to see him as son. If that is okay with you of course?” 

The Quincy looked very uncomfortable at this and his reiatsu was a very uneasy but in the end the Quincy nodded his consent to the implied request. 

“Never refer to me as your ‘child’ and I don’t mind, it might even be good for him.” 

Engetsu laughed and promised that he would never do such a thing. 

“You need a name by the way” he said when he had calmed down “Calling you both Zangetsu would get confusing real fast and I don’t want to have to say Quincy or Hollow/Shinigami.” 

Once again the Quincy shrugged in disinterest which Engetsu took as permission to pick out nicknames for the two. 

“Hhhhmmmmm……How about ‘Kuro’ for yourself and for the hybrid ‘Shiro’, it’s easy to remember and there is no way that anyone could mix the two of you up that way.” 

“’Black’ for myself as a name and ‘White’ for Zangetsu? You are aware that we are different entities right?” 

“For now you are but who knows how the two for you will as your wielder gets older. You might both be Zangetsu or only Shiro will be Zangetsu and you will be a separate Reiryoka sources. Do you know how your wielder will grow and mature given time?” 

“I do not” admitted the other. 

“Neither do I I’ve never heard of a hybrid zanpakuto spirit but maybe in the long history of the spiritually strong there have been instances of such things but I have never heard of any.” Engetsu shrugged and continued “Anyway I should probably be getting back to my own inner world just in case but I will be back in a day or two.” 

“Very well then,” the Quincy gave a short bow “Thank you for your offer and I hope your visit was….. satisfying.”

Engetsu shook the Quincys hand and told him it was. Then he asked him to tell ‘Shiro’ that he would be back in a few days, and then focused on returning to his wielders inner world-his home. 

When Engetsu rematerialized into his own world he found himself wanting to be back with the other two but knew it was simply his desire for company that caused this and instead focused on a basic training regime for ‘Shiro’ Zangetsu and thinking of ways to encourage ‘Kuro’ Zangetsu to see the younger as an equal instead of a threat that he was sure the Quincy would see the other spirit as, as their wielder grew up and matured. 

Suddenly the Captain Class fire type Zanpakuto spirit had a lot to do that would fend off his boredom.


End file.
